Family walks across America in honor of daughter

Thursday

Aug 21, 2014 at 6:33 PMAug 21, 2014 at 9:17 PM

Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

VICTORVILLE — On a day filled with the promise of rain, the Cobb family made a pit-stop in the Victor Valley during their own journey of promise. With the motto, “If you can dream it, JuCan do it!” Jonathan and Jennifer Cobb started their “Epic Disneyland to Disney World Walk” with their children about two weeks ago with the promise of taking the 3,000-plus mile trip in memory of their daughter, Julia ‘Ju’ Tamara Cobb, 8, who died in October. Twelve-year-old Jonathan David, 10-year-old Jenna and 3-year-old Jaxi are also walking, as the Cobb family tries to raise $413,000 in an effort to raise pediatric cancer awareness and to help families in crisis. On Thursday, the Cobb family said they stopped off at Rancho Motor Company in Victorville to make sure their vehicle was ready for the long journey through Barstow, Las Vegas, 14 states and multiple cities.“Jonathan is doing 99 percent of the walking and we’re here as the support team,” Jennifer Cobb said. “What we’re really hoping for is an RV so we don’t have to stay at hotels and eat out all the time.”Jennifer Cobb said the dealership opened an appointment for their vehicle to be inspected, and lavished their children with books, games and ice cream.Team JuCan is comprised of the Cobb family, a 2008 Chevy Suburban (“JuBurban”) and a small, covered cargo trailer.“We find a place to stay and then we walk,” Jonathan Cobb said. “At the end of the day, we drive back to our hotel and then drive back to where we left off the next day. It’s tedious, but until we get an RV that’s the plan.”As Jennifer Cobb’s iPhone alarm sounded at 4:13 p.m., she said each day at the same time, family and friends pray for the family and their journey.“Ju’s favorite scripture was Philippians 4:13,” Jennifer Cobb said. “It means that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.”Known as the “party girl” because her “shining, big and blue eyes seemed to scream, ‘Fun!’ ” Ju was diagnosed at age 5 with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The couple said they were no strangers to cancer after Ju’s father won his battle in 2006 and Ju’s grandmothers, Tamara and Modena, lost theirs. The family, who started their walk in Anaheim on Aug. 6, is hoping to end their journey at the Magic Kingdom on St. Patrick’s Day, Ju’s Birthday.The family is using the jucanfoundation.org website to invite people and teams to walk along their route, and to take donations in the fight against childhood cancer. The foundation’s mission is to create pediatric cancer awareness, award grants, and to advocate healthy dietary lifestyles and nutrition as a means of cancer prevention. JuCan also assists local and Greater Houston families with medical-related costs while they are undergoing cancer treatment in the premier Texas Medical Center. The JuCan Gives Program awards scholarships to cancer survivors, hosts a yearly toy drive for the MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital and makes custom pediatric hospital gowns for the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center. ‘We want to meet people along the way and invite them to walk with us,” Jennifer Cobb said. ‘We also want to encourage everyone that we meet along the way.” For more information and to follow the Cobbs, visit www.JuCanFoundation.org or search for Julia Cobb Jucan Foundation on Facebook. Individuals can also call 888-995-8226, or email info@JuCan.cc. Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLa Cruz@VVDailyPress.com or on Twitter@DP_ReneDeLaCruz.